One thing you may want to consider doing is incorporating quick release couplings into your loops. These can serve two functions. First, you have an easy drain point without the need to plumb in a floating tube. The other advantage is that if you plan them carefully, you can split your loops into logical sections so that you will seldom need to fully drain the loops (they also make initial filling a lot easier).

For example, each of my loops has 3 QR couplings, enabling me to isolate the pump/res area, radiator and GPU (I have two distinct loops, one for each GPU) on each loop. If I need to take out a GPU, I just disconnect its QR couplings and slide it out. No loop draining, no hassle. When I put it back in, I just ensure that the waterblock and its associated tubing leading to the QR couplings is full of coolant - no bubbles. I can also fully isolate the externally situated radiators - which makes life a lot easier if I do a full coolant change since I can jiggle the rad' box around to fully clear it of air.

I dunno...
I have not dabbled in water cooling yet, perhaps some day.
But it seems to me that a parallel setup would be the only way to go.
Not a serial setup which dumps the heat from all previous devices in the loop into the next one.

The parallel setup might require a higher volume pump to maintain adequate flow to all devices at once, but should give the best cooling result.Always remember.....kitties are all Angels with fur.
'Cat lives matter.'

Whether you have parallel flow or serial does not matter. My setup is done for reasons specific to me, but the principle of the QR couplings makes as much sense in a parallel flow setup as a serial. Its the ability to isolate specific segments of the loop (however many devices it incorporates) that is useful.

Whether you have parallel flow or serial does not matter. My setup is done for reasons specific to me, but the principle of the QR couplings makes as much sense in a parallel flow setup as a serial. Its the ability to isolate specific segments of the loop (however many devices it incorporates) that is useful.

Whether you have parallel flow or serial does not matter. My setup is done for reasons specific to me, but the principle of the QR couplings makes as much sense in a parallel flow setup as a serial. Its the ability to isolate specific segments of the loop (however many devices it incorporates) that is useful.

Whether you have parallel flow or serial does not matter. My setup is done for reasons specific to me, but the principle of the QR couplings makes as much sense in a parallel flow setup as a serial. Its the ability to isolate specific segments of the loop (however many devices it incorporates) that is useful.

Where did you find the QR couplings?

Steve

Phobya. I can provide a link if you require.....

No problem. I found it. I like that idea, but couldn't find any that would work with 1/2" ID Tygon tubing.

Whether you have parallel flow or serial does not matter. My setup is done for reasons specific to me, but the principle of the QR couplings makes as much sense in a parallel flow setup as a serial. Its the ability to isolate specific segments of the loop (however many devices it incorporates) that is useful.

Where did you find the QR couplings?

Steve

Phobya. I can provide a link if you require.....

No problem. I found it. I like that idea, but couldn't find any that would work with 1/2" ID Tygon tubing.

Steve

What is the ID of that stuff??? Phobya do couplings for most tube sizes..........

Later when I get home, I'll see how large 1/2" tubing is in metric, as that is what the sizes are listed in at the PHOBYA website. Evenything I use is 1/2" inner diamater Tygon, with 1/8" thick walls. Since I am redoing everything at the moment, I really like the idea of quick connects. Even if I don't get them into this build, I will order them, and add them when time is available.

The Piggy rebuild is coming along very nicely. i have more to go before I can attempt a power up, but I am making progress.

Later when I get home, I'll see how large 1/2" tubing is in metric, as that is what the sizes are listed in at the PHOBYA website. Evenything I use is 1/2" inner diamater Tygon, with 1/8" thick walls. Since I am redoing everything at the moment, I really like the idea of quick connects. Even if I don't get them into this build, I will order them, and add them when time is available.

The Piggy rebuild is coming along very nicely. i have more to go before I can attempt a power up, but I am making progress.

Steve

I'll PM you, so as not to hijack this thread further. I'm pretty sure that your tubing size is covered.

Blocks in series
The first block warms up the water, this warmed water is then used to cool the next block, thus the second block will not be as efficiently cooled as the first, and so on for the subsequent blocks.

Block in parallel
Each block warms "its bit" of water, each block is cooled by the same amount

It is possible to have all the blocks cooled by the same amount, but it needs some very careful design of the block to achieve, and the parts to do this are probably not available within the PC market (each block has to be designed for a specific flow rate, and position within the chain of blocks otherwise it won't work properly.

Radiators in series
You get a bigger pressure drop across the combined radiator, not too important if you have an adequate pump, and are PUSHING the water through the radiator. If you are drawing water through the radiator you increase the problems associated with cavitation within the radiator system. You need a higher PRESSURE pump to achieve a given flow rate.

Radiators in parallel
Lower pressure drop across the radiator system. You may need a higher FLOW pump. There is a second advantage, it is a fairly simple process to isolate an individual radiator without having to "re-plumb" all the radiators - this is where self-sealing connections come to their own.

The above assumes that all the blocks are the same, and that all the radiators are the same. Don't mix block types within a cooling circuit, but it you have a mixture of radiators it is possibly better to put them in series and look for a pump with a higher output PRESSURE for the flow rate you need.Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

Later when I get home, I'll see how large 1/2" tubing is in metric, as that is what the sizes are listed in at the PHOBYA website. Evenything I use is 1/2" inner diamater Tygon, with 1/8" thick walls. Since I am redoing everything at the moment, I really like the idea of quick connects. Even if I don't get them into this build, I will order them, and add them when time is available.

The Piggy rebuild is coming along very nicely. i have more to go before I can attempt a power up, but I am making progress.

Steve

I was thinking of using Koolance Quick Disconnects and Danger Den Dreamflex tubing, their black 1/2"ID kit, nice and thick walls and short of fittings has all one needs and 10' of tubing too.

Later when I get home, I'll see how large 1/2" tubing is in metric, as that is what the sizes are listed in at the PHOBYA website. Evenything I use is 1/2" inner diamater Tygon, with 1/8" thick walls. Since I am redoing everything at the moment, I really like the idea of quick connects. Even if I don't get them into this build, I will order them, and add them when time is available.

The Piggy rebuild is coming along very nicely. i have more to go before I can attempt a power up, but I am making progress.

Steve

I was thinking of using Koolance Quick Disconnects and Corsair Dreamflex tubing, their black 1/2"ID kit, nice and thick walls and short of fittings has all one needs and 10' of tubing too.

The principle is the same. That's essentially a bulkhead fitting - great for the case, Don't like barbs myslef, but that's a personal preference. You may want to see if you can get an inline fitting - then, you could plumb them into the single tube sections of the in/out tubes for the GPU loops (more isolatable segments in the loop = more options for unplanned issues). If you go for parallel for the chipset/CPU (which IS the way in terms of flow control), it may be a bit more difficult to figure out where they could go and be of use - they would need to be in the loop where there is a single tube....

The whole principle of incorporating them is to give an easy way of breaking the loop, without introducing air, and/or draining the whole loop (which will be a pain) - so you need to think about how your tubing is going to work and how you are going to carry out any maintenance tasks, and if being able to isolate sections will make your life easier. For me, they are a god-send. I only water cool my GPUs, but I would not build another GPU loop without them.

Later when I get home, I'll see how large 1/2" tubing is in metric, as that is what the sizes are listed in at the PHOBYA website. Evenything I use is 1/2" inner diamater Tygon, with 1/8" thick walls. Since I am redoing everything at the moment, I really like the idea of quick connects. Even if I don't get them into this build, I will order them, and add them when time is available.

The Piggy rebuild is coming along very nicely. i have more to go before I can attempt a power up, but I am making progress.

Steve

I was thinking of using Koolance Quick Disconnects and Danger Den Dreamflex tubing, their black 1/2"ID kit, nice and thick walls and short of fittings has all one needs and 10' of tubing too.

The principle is the same. That's essentially a bulkhead fitting - great for the case, Don't like barbs myslef, but that's a personal preference. You may want to see if you can get an inline fitting - then, you could plumb them into the single tube sections of the in/out tubes for the GPU loops (more isolatable segments in the loop = more options for unplanned issues). If you go for parallel for the chipset/CPU (which IS the way in terms of flow control), it may be a bit more difficult to figure out where they could go and be of use - they would need to be in the loop where there is a single tube....

The whole principle of incorporating them is to give an easy way of breaking the loop, without introducing air, and/or draining the whole loop (which will be a pain) - so you need to think about how your tubing is going to work and how you are going to carry out any maintenance tasks, and if being able to isolate sections will make your life easier. For me, they are a god-send. I only water cool my GPUs, but I would not build another GPU loop without them.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking and the Danger Den tubing is THICK, why I'm saying corsair? Concentration problem rearing its ugly head...
It's like this, but I'm looking at Black and not red, although red would do if black was out of stock...Batman: Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb.

It's like this, but I'm looking at Black and not red, although red would do if black was out of stock...

...black is the new red!!!

I've emailed Aquatuning to find out which couplings are suitable for 1/2" tygon tubing (which is what Steve uses) and I'll let you know what their response is.

One thing that concerns me if you go for a PCI bulkhead fitting is: will you have the space to route the tube through it ...... I'm guessing that stuff is pretty stiff...... you may need quite some space to get a kink-free bend......

That's the same tubing I use, except mine is clear. The coolant is blue though.

Steve

I'd like to prevent algae from forming without using a silver kill coil as some blocks plating react to that in an undesirable way from what I've read elsewhere...Batman: Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb.

Vic,
Be a little careful - your tube dimensions are a bit astray.
1/2in is 12.7mm
5/8in is 15.9mm
3/4in is 19.1mm
(well, rounded to 1 decimal place)
I'd hate to see you buying 1/2in fittings and finding they are "a bit loose" in a so called 1/2in tube which is actually 5/8in.

I'm not too sure that you need such a thick wall tube, at the sort of pressures these systems work at there is little advantage in that over a "normal" wall - you shouldn't be bending pipes too tightly, and where you need tight bends you can use external re-enforcement springs.

Those quick disconnects certainly look very useful, don't skimp on them, as others have said they can be of great use when doing maintenance.Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

That's the same tubing I use, except mine is clear. The coolant is blue though.

Steve

I'd like to prevent algae from forming without using a silver kill coil as some blocks plating react to that in an undesirable way from what I've read elsewhere...

I would suggest that is largely down to the coolant you select in combination with the waterblock & internal radiator surfaces. I'm not aware of any creatures growing in my loops but who knows! Most coolants have an inhibitor that prevents such growths occurring though.

I use DP Ultra in both of my loops. One loop uses a pure copper waterblock, the other a nickel plated waterblock. The rads are both Phobya - essentially copper. I used to use PC Ice as a coolant - but that broke down quickly under 24/7 running and started to smell really bad. Since switching to DP Ultra, I've had no similar issues.